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TOKYO
August 12, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 12, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
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People rest on a terrace of a shopping mall during sunset hour, in Beijing's central business district on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Trump signs order extending China tariff truce by 90 days, White House says
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Andrea Shalal
The timing of the extension buys crucial time for the seasonal autumn surge of imports for the Christmas season at lower tariff rates.
People rest on a terrace of a shopping mall during sunset hour, in Beijing's central business district on Monday.
Palestinians carry aid supplies they collected from trucks that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Australia to recognize Palestinian state at United Nations next month
Australia’s move follows similar stances from France, Britain and Canada.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Netanyahu defends Gaza plan condemned at home and abroad
By Dan Williams
Foreign powers are already upset about the hunger crisis besetting Palestinians in Gaza, while relatives of hostages are calling for a general strike to protest the latest plans.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the first day of a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24.
WORLD / Politics
Zelenskyy wins EU and NATO backing as he seeks place at Trump-Putin talks
By Dan Peleschuk and Mark Trevelyan
A White House official has said President Donald Trump is open to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attending, but preparations are under way for only a bilateral meeting.
Francisco Villarreal moved to Japan in 2014 to attend a teacher training program and has forged deep ties to the kindergarten in Tokyo's Asakusa district where he has worked since 2018.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Kindred spirits, kindergarten connections: From Buenos Aires to east Tokyo
By Francisco J. Villarreal
An Argentinian teacher finds echoes of his hometown in the working-class neighborhoods of eastern Tokyo.
Francisco Villarreal moved to Japan in 2014 to attend a teacher training program and has forged deep ties to the kindergarten in Tokyo's Asakusa district where he has worked since 2018.

JAPAN

Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi visits a rice field near Seoul on Sunday.
Farm minister Koizumi visits rice field in South Korea
South Korean rice exports to Japan have sharply increased, reaching a record 416 tons in January to June this year.
Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki speaks at the closing ceremony of the General Conference of Mayors for Peace on Sunday.
Mayors for Peace adopt the 'Nagasaki Appeal'
At the Nagasaki peace conference, joined by representatives from 138 cities in 16 countries, discussions were held on activities to be carried out until the next general meeting.
Osaka Expo ticket sales exceed break-even point
Millions told to evacuate as heavy rain sparks flooding and landslides in Kyushu
Komeito struggling after crushing Upper House election defeat
98-year-old woman recalls brother's death from dummy atomic bomb

BUSINESS

Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s chief technology officer; Bob McGrew, an adviser at Thinking Machines Lab and OpenAI’s former chief research officer; Shyam Sankar, Palantir’s chief technology officer; and Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s chief product officer at a military ceremony in Arlington, Va., in June 2025. The four current and former executives were pronounced lieutenant colonels in a new unit, Detachment 201, which will advise the Army on new technologies for potential combat.
Silicon Valley is in its ‘hard tech’ era
By Mike Isaac
Instead of the tap-to-pay apps of a decade ago like Clinkle and Bump, young companies are now making unmanned aerial drones stocked with AI-guided Barracuda cruise missiles.
The Jianxiawo Lithium mine in Yichun, Jiangxi province, China
Lithium market erupts as CATL shuts one of world’s biggest mines
By Martin Ritchie, Annie Lee and Alfred Cang
Tianqi Lithium jumped as much as 19% in Hong Kong, while Ganfeng Lithium Group surged 21%, and Australian miners rallied.
Nvidia and AMD to pay U.S. 15% of China chip revenue, says report
By Kevin Whitelaw
Palantir’s meteoric rise has investors scrambling to justify valuation
By Carmen M. Reinhart and Felice Maranz
General contractor Taisei to buy out Toyo Construction
U.S. and Japan working to announce tariffs won’t stack
By Chris Gallagher, Yoshiaki Nohara and Sakura Murakami

WORLD

Ahmad Habibi and his younger brother Mahmood Habibi pose for the camera in Canada in 2014.
How a CIA hit on al-Qaida ensnared a U.S. citizen in Afghanistan
By Jonathan Landay
Interviews reveal that the Taliban likely detained Mahmood Habibi because the CIA had penetrated the company where he worked.
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike where Al Jazeera says its journalists Anas Al Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh and three photojournalists were killed, in Gaza City on Monday.
Israel kills Al Jazeera journalist it says was Hamas leader
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell
Calling Al Sharif "one of Gaza's bravest journalists," Al Jazeera said the attack "is a desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza."
In a Trump-Putin summit, Ukraine fears losing say over its future
By David E. Sanger and Luke Broadwater
Xi looks to tighten grip after scandals shake China’s military elite
By Chris Buckley
South Korea’s winning strategy for Trump faces moment of truth
By Soo-hyang Choi and Heesu Lee
Chinese vessels collide while pursuing Philippine boat in South China Sea

Sports

Ichiro speaks during a ceremony to retire his number a T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Sunday.
Mariners to honor Ichiro with statue at T-Mobile Park in 2026
The Seattle Mariners will unveil a statue of franchise legend Ichiro Suzuki at T-Mobile Park during the 2026 season.
Australia loses Charlotte Caslick ahead of Women's Rugby World Cup
Donald Trump praises Grant Forrest for 'brilliant' win on Trump-owned course
Liverpool spends big to hold off Arsenal and City in title fight
By Kieran CANNING
NFL teams monitoring situation with Dolphins and receiver Tyreek Hill

Opinion

A model of the upgraded Mogami-class frigate is displayed at the Defense Security Equipment International Japan exhibition at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on May 21.
The Japan-Australia frigate deal is more than a weapons pact
The scale of the agreement is sweeping. Japan has never before won a bid this size.
Espionage and tariffs can’t tarnish TSMC’s crown
By Catherine Thorbecke
Xi steals a page from Mao’s foreign-policy playbook
By Kazuko Kojima
Stagflation is hitting Russia’s war economy
By Anders Aslund
RFK Jr.’s mRNA decision may be his worst yet
By Lisa Jarvis

ENVIRONMENT

An Afghan woman walks next to a pile of trash full of plastic bags in Kabul.
Momentum sagging at U.N. plastic pollution treaty talks
By Robin Millard
The negotiations have four working days left to strike a legally-binding instrument that would tackle the growing problem choking the environment.
Hedge funds flip on green energy and start betting against oil
By Natasha White, Liza Tetley and Ishika Mookerjee
How Canadian wildfire smoke is jeopardizing health across North America
By Robert Tuttle, Brian K Sullivan and Danielle Bochove
U.N. plastic pollution treaty talks progress not 'sufficient': chair
Pacific microstate sells first passports to fund climate action

CULTURE

Sung in Japanese, German and Ukrainian, “Natasha” is a multilingual opera with a multinational cast. Belgian soprano Ilse Eerens will originate the titular role, with Japanese mezzo-soprano Hiroka Yamashita as Arato and German baritone Christian Miedl as their trickster guide.
‘Natasha’ distills global zeitgeist on the opera stage
By Kris Kosaka
An original work commissioned by the New National Theatre, Tokyo, “Natasha” is a multilingual opera with a multinational cast from Japan, Germany and Belgium.
Futuristic mermaid tale ‘ChaO’ makes a splash
By Matt Schley
'Glass Heart’: A flashy rock fairytale scrubbed of grit
By James Hadfield
‘Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash’ honors young nurses thrust into hellish nightmare
By Mark Schilling
The families that rock together at Fuji
By Mark Thompson

LIFE

At Himawari Shokudo 2, chef Hozumi Tanaka serves Italian-inspired fare with a focus on Toyama produce, such as this appetizer of lightly blanched "hotaru ika" (firefly squid) served atop mixed wild plants and a crepe prepared from "yamato-imo" yam.
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
By Robbie Swinnerton
Punching above its own weight, the intimate restaurant is one of the growing number of quality establishments that are helping to cement Toyama's status as a dining destination.
In a coffee-mad neighborhood, a gin distillery is a clear alternative
By Melinda Joe
A walk through Kokura, the city spared nuclear destruction
By Edward J. Taylor
Tokyo’s WWII museums hold diverse views on war and peace
By Mark Schreiber
Brave the Bon holiday traffic to discover tourism gems off the beaten path
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

Francisco Villarreal moved to Japan in 2014 to attend a teacher training program and has forged deep ties to the kindergarten in Tokyo's Asakusa district where he has worked since 2018.
Kindred spirits, kindergarten connections: From Buenos Aires to east Tokyo
By Francisco J. Villarreal
An Argentinian teacher finds echoes of his hometown in the working-class neighborhoods of eastern Tokyo.
A campaign to preserve Hiroshima’s historic trees for another 1,000 years
By Patrick Parr
Briton brings artistic view to Japanese buildings
By Louise George Kittaka
‘Mad cute’ Scottish fold to brighten your day
The international artists supporting Japan’s craft legacy
By Laura Pollacco

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Osaka Expo highlights the challenge of holding events in Japan's scorching summer
By Joel Tansey
People huddle near a large fan blowing icy-cold mist at the Osaka Expo on July 12. Amid Japan's relentless summer heat, organizes have put myriad measures in place in order to keep guests safe.
LIFE
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
By Robbie Swinnerton
At Himawari Shokudo 2, chef Hozumi Tanaka serves Italian-inspired fare with a focus on Toyama produce, such as this appetizer of lightly blanched "hotaru ika" (firefly squid) served atop mixed wild plants and a crepe prepared from "yamato-imo" yam.
MORE SPORTS
Cheer with caution: Expert advises sports fans have game plan for extreme heat
By Mai Yoshikawa
A Cardinals fan fans himself during the seventh inning of a game against the Pirates in St. Louis, Missouri, in June 2022.
JAPAN
Australia's warship selection signals Japanese defense industry's arrival
By Gabriel Dominguez
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate. Australia's selection of an upgraded version of the Mogami-class warship for its next frigate class could prove to be a watershed moment for Japan’s defense industry.
BUSINESS
Japan's inheritance tax is high, unforgiving and sometimes avoidable
By James Wongvipat
The National Tax Agency at the Ministry of Finance, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. Japanese tax authorities can bill foreign residents in Japan for assets inherited globally.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person
By Naoko Abe

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027
Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

COMFACTS

GO GRANDCLASS Uonuma Koshihikari Edition Wins Platinum Award at Milano Sake Challenge 2025
GO GRANDCLASS Uonuma Koshihikari Edition Wins Platinum Award at Milano Sake Challenge 2025
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Millions told to evacuate as heavy rain sparks flooding and landslides in Kyushu
Heavy rain falls in the city of Kumamoto on Monday morning.
ENVIRONMENT
Osaka Expo highlights the challenge of holding events in Japan's scorching summer
By Joel Tansey
People huddle near a large fan blowing icy-cold mist at the Osaka Expo on July 12. Amid Japan's relentless summer heat, organizes have put myriad measures in place in order to keep guests safe.
ASIA PACIFIC
Chinese vessels collide while pursuing Philippine boat in South China Sea
This handout video grab released and taken on August 11, 2025 by the Philippine Coast Guard shows an incident between a Chinese Navy vessel (left) and a Chinese Coast Guard ship as seen from a Philippine fisheries boat near Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.
JAPAN
Weather agency warns of landslides and flooding in Kyushu as heavy rain continues
An embankment on the Amikake River that collapsed due to heavy rain in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Friday. Downpours continued in the Kyushu region over the weekend.
LIFE
Tokyo’s WWII museums hold diverse views on war and peace
By Mark Schreiber
A carrier-based Type 52 Zero fighter marks the entrance foyer of Yasukuni Shrine's Yushukan, a museum that tells a more nuanced story of Japan's experience in World War II than the controversies around the shrine might suggest.